| UNFPA IN THE NEWS – OCTOBER 25-31,
2003 CONTINUING COVERAGE ON STATE OF WORLD POPULATION
2003 REPORT
Worldwide coverage on UNFPA’s State of
World Population 2003 report continued. The Daily Trust (Nigeria)
reported October 28 that one in four adolescents all over the
world face the constraints of extreme poverty, according to the
report. The story mentioned that the publication found that an
estimated 238 million youth survive without parents or are marginalized
through "humanitarian emergencies, migration, disability, poor
health or family dissolution." The Chronicle (Malawi) reported
that at Malawi’s launch of the report, UNFPA resident representative
to Malawi, Sylvie Cohen has said that the problem that the youths
face needs immediate action. The story mentioned the release
took place Oct. 22 at Le Meridien Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.
Read: The Daily Trust, The Chronicle
CONTINUING COVERAGE ON WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA
Report on Maternal Mortality
An October 27 story by Panafrican News Agency
mentioned UN agencies dealing with health, children and populations,
WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA recently released their latest report,
which indicated that a woman living in sub-Saharan Africa has
one chance in 16 of dying in pregnancy or childbirth. The report
showed that of the estimated 529,000 maternal deaths in 2000,
95 percent occurred in Africa and Asia, while only four percent
or 22,000 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, and less
than one percent or 2,500 in the more developed nations of the
world. Panafrican News Agency also ran an October 26 story that
noted, “Some 24,000 maternal deaths out of the 529,000
deaths recorded in the world in 2002 were reported in the DR
Congo, according to the joint study. South Africa’s
Sunday Times ran a story on the report on October 26.
VATICAN: Condoms Do Not Protect against
HIV/AIDS
The Miami Herald (United States) ran an October
27 editorial that noted “the Vatican has gone much further
by telling people in countries with high rates of HIV that condoms
don't protect them against the virus that causes AIDS. Experts
were stunned –and rushed to set the record straight.”The
editorial mentioned, “Earlier this month, the U.N. Population
Fund reported that around 6,000 people between the ages of 15
and 24 catch the deadly virus every day.”Read: Miami Herald
BANGLADESH: Certificate Presented for
Completion of Training on Repairing Fistula
United News of Bangladesh reported October 25
that the certificate presentation ceremony for doctors and nurses
trained to repair fistula was held at the conference room of
Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Oct. 26. Among other officials,
UNFPA Representative Ms. Sunita Mukherjee, and UNFPA Assistant
Representative Mrs. Tahera Ahmed were present at the ceremony.
Twelve doctors and eight nurses of the Departments of Gynecology
and Obstetrics and Urology of the DMCH took part in the 15-day
training program on fistula since September 30 under its UNFPA-funded
project titled "Capacity Development through Training for Reproductive
Health Program.”During the training period, the trainees,
with the help of their trainers from Bangladesh,Australia and
Ethiopia, successfully operated upon 40 patients who had been
suffering from major Obstetric Fistula complications.
BANGLADESH: Youth Should Play a Role
in Eradicating Illiteracy and Combating HIV/AIDS
United News of Bangladesh reported October 25
that Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, chief guest in a daylong seminar
to observe the United Nations Day 2003, said that the youth should
play the pioneering role in eradicating illiteracy and combating
HIV/AIDS. The speaker also said different UN agencies, mainly
UNFPA, have achieved special success in checking population growth
in countries with high birth rate, particularly in the developing
countries.
BANGLADESH: Healthcare and Family Planning
Services for Garment Workers
The Daily Star (Bangladesh) reported October
27 that Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) wants
to help Bangladesh's readymade garment industry by increasing
productivity through providing the workers with primary healthcare
and family planning services. The story also noted that UNFPA
assisted BGMEA in setting up three more centers under a project
titled Family Welfare and Reproductive Health Education and Services
for Garment Workers during 1998-2002. Read: Daily Star
BANGLADESH: Support for Project on Reproductive
Health and Gender Issues
United News of Bangladesh reported October 31
that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has reaffirmed that the government
believes in free flow of information and people's right to know.
The prime minister was addressing a function marking the handing
over of audiovisual vans and multimedia projectors to the Mass
Communications Department at the International Conference Centre.
She handed over to district information officers the keys and
allotment letters of 24 vans and 64 multimedia projectors received
under "Advocacy on Reproductive Health and Gender Issues through
Department of Mass Communications" program of the United Nations
Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). Read: United News of
Bangladesh
BHUTAN: Advocacy Materials on Reproductive
Health
Kuensel (Bangladesh) October 26 story on Bhutan
celebrating the 58th United Nations Day also mentioned
that Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck and
UNFPA goodwill ambassador launched two advocacy materials on
reproductive health - Investment in People and a music video
called Music for Health –which carry messages on a healthy
lifestyle and family planning. Read: Kuensel
CUBA: Number of Children Per Woman Does
Not Match What They Want
Inter Press Service reported October 29 that
the average number of children per woman of child-bearing age
in Cuba is between two and three. But by 1987, a national survey
found that a significant number of women had only one child.
Last year, 21.5 abortions were documented for every 1,000 women
between the ages of 12 and 49, and 49.8 for every 100 births.
To that must be added a large number of menstrual regulations.
The gap between desired family size and the number of abortions
practiced was pointed out by a survey on reproductive health
carried out in two provinces by ONE's Centre of Studies on Population
and Development. The study will be extended to the rest of the
country with support from UNFPA. Read: Inter
Press Service
INDIA: Report on Female-Male Ratio in
Shocking Decline
United Press International reported October 29
that UNFPA has denounced the common practice of female infanticide
and selective abortions in India. A study for UNFPA indicated
the ratio of girls to boys in India has shown a shocking decline
in the last decade, OneWorld reported. The data showed the girl-to-boy
ratio had dropped to fewer than 800 per 1,000 in some parts of
the country. "Discrimination against girls anywhere in the world
is a social ill and human rights violation, which must be stopped," said
UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.Times of India and
UN News Centrealso reported on this story. Read: United
Press International, Times
of India, UN
News Centre INDONESIA: Women Still Want to Limit the Size
of Their Family
The Jakarta Post (Indonesia) reported October
26 that Indonesia has had a family planning program for years,
enjoying success with the "Two Children Are Enough" campaign
implemented during the 32-year rule of president Soeharto. The
story mentioned women are no longer forced to join the program
but many, particularly educated women, still want to limit the
size of their families. Most women in taking part in the family
planning program prefer injections, followed by pills, intra-uterine
devices or IUDs while the remainder use either implants or tubectomy.
However, the UNFPA says that less than 2 percent of males take
part in family planning in Indonesia –leaving women with
the burden of using contraceptives. Read: The
Jakarta Post
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